Resonator for musical instruments



May '21, 1946. R. NAUJOKS EI'AL RESONATOR FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Filed Nov. 8, 1943 I INVENTOR. V

F? LLClD/Fh NauJa1 5 William N nuJ aks Patented May 21, 1946 RESONATOR FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Rudolph Naujoks and William Naujoks, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application November 8, 1943, Serial No. 509,356

6 Claims.

Our invention relates to stops or resonators for musical wind instruments.

One of the principal objects of this invention is to provide a stop or resonator of this class whereby the tone value of the instrument is improved by clarifying the tone and also by accentuating the vibrato created before the sound emanates from the instrument.

Another important object f this invention is to provide a stop or resonator construction having a yieldable and sound-absorbent wind control pad guarded and reinforced by a suitably ridged rigid but light washer applied or secured to the central portion of the wind receiving side of the pad for carrying out the above object, said washer being wholly supported by the pad and separated thereby from any metallic or vibrating portion of the instrument.

A further object of this invention is to provide a stop or resonator construction of this class in which the moving or rotating tendency of the washer with respect to the pad is reduced to a minimum, thereby preventing rattle and consequent undesirable vibration.

With these and other objects in View, as will appear hereinafter, we have devised a stop, or resonator construction, for musical wind instruments, having certain novel features of construction and combination, as will be hereinafter described, and particularly set forth in the appended claims, reference being had to the drawing, and to the characters of reference thereon, which form a part of this application, in which:

Fig. l is a fragmentary end View of a saxophone showing two stops near the end thereof, one closed and the other open, and embodying our invention;

Fig. 2 is an inner side or face view of one of the stops;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view thereof, taken through 3-3 of Fig. 2, showing a portion of the resonator washer in elevation to facilitate the illustration; and,

Fig. 4 is an inner side view of one of the resonator washers in a slightly modified form of construction.

Musical Wind instruments in common use, such as the saxophone A shown fragmentarily in the drawing, have stops B for controlling the escape of the wind blown th'ereinto, and thereby controlling the sound or producing the music of the instrument. The stops are usually pivotally mounted and rocked to close over the sound emitting openings A, the operating mechanism of the stops not being shown.

The stop, shown in the drawing, consists essentially of a shallow cupped support I carried at the end of a movable arm 2, a resonator pad and a resonator washer 4.

The resonator pad is readily yieldable, and is sound-absorbent in contradistinction from sound deflecting. It consists of a felt disc 3 covered with a thin leather jacket 3 The edge of the jacket 3 extends over the peripheral edge of the felt disc 3 as shown. The resonator disc is secured in place in the shallow cupped support I by suitable means, such as by a cement 5,

The resonator washer 4, which is an essential and principal part of our invention, is a thin metal disc which is secureli and tightly fastened to the outer side of the resonator pad, thereby guarding and reinforcing the centra1 portion f the latter. The securing is effected, by a rivet or staple-like fastener B, through the axial portions of the pad 3 and the washer 4. The inner end of the rivet is free of the adjacent side of the support. The washer, as shown, is provided with radial ridges 4 which extend from the rivet to the periphery. The radial ridges provide radial grooves for directing the sound waves directly outwardly, and prevent the producing of an undesirable turbulence as the sound waves are emitted.

This construction permits the production of the results set forth in the objects of the invention.

A similar result may be produced, by spiral ridges and grooves, as shown in Fi 4, and this invention and the claims are to be interpreted as including such construction. In this view of the drawing, the ridges and grooves of the washer 4 are designated 4a.

The inward extension or direction of the ridges or other suitable indentures prevents relative movement or rotation of the washer with respect to the pad, and thus reduces to a minimum any tendency of the washer to rattle or vibrate.

Though we have otherwise shown and described a particular construction, combination, and arrangement of specific parts, we do not wish to be limited to the same, but desire to include in the scope of our invention the construction, combination, and arrangement substantially as set forth in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A stop for musical wind instruments comprising, a relaitvely movable support, a yieldable resonator pad secured to the support with one side positioned thereagainst, and a rigid washer positioned against the opposite side of the pad, the washer being radially ridged.

2. A stop for musical wind instruments comprising, a relatively movable support, a yieldable resonator pad secured to the support with one side positioned thereagainst, and a rigid washer positioned against the opposite side of the pad, the washer being radially ridged, the inner sides of the radial ridges being positioned tightly against the pad.

3. A stop for musical wind instruments comprising, a relatively movable support, a yieldable resonator pad secured to the support with one side positioned thereagainst, and a rigid washer positioned against the opposite side of the pad and secured with its axial portion to the axial portion of the pad, the washer being radially ridged.

4. A stop for musical wind instruments comprising, a relatively movable support, a yieldable resonator pad secured to the support with one side positioned thereagainst, and a rigid washer positioned against the opposite side of the pad and secured with its axial portion to the axial portion of the pad, the washer being radially ridged, the inner sides of the radial ridges being positioned tightly against the pad.

5. A stop for musical wind instruments comprising, a relatively movable support, a yieldable resonator pad secured to the support with one side positioned and compressible against the support and a rigid washer positioned against and secured to the opposite side of the pad and movable therewith, said washer having means to prevent relative movement thereof with respect to the Dad.

6. A stop for musical wind instruments comprising, a relatively movable support, a yieldable resonator pad secured to the support with one side positioned and compressible against the support and a rigid wash'er positioned against and secured to the opposite side of the pad and movable therewith, said Washer having indentures at the inner side for engaging the pad to prevent relative movement between the washer and the pad.

RUDOLPH NAUJOKS. WILLIAM NAUJOKS. 

